Let's Stay Friends
by Breething Blue
Summary: Owen is in love. Akari just wants to live a peaceful life. And Chase. Where do we even start with Chase?
1. I Want You To Want Me

**I DO NOT OWN HARVEST MOON. OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS.**

**A/N: Okay, so I wrote this real quick, my first TOT story. And I'm not sure how well I did. Well why don't you tell me? But first you've gotta read it. SO here we GO.**

**Introduction-**

It wasn't hard to guess why Akari had moved to Waffle Town to start a farm. For eleven years, the first half of her life, she had lived on a farm with her father. She had always enjoyed the subdued atmosphere of the country lifestyle. But soon after her fathers passing she had been taken in by his sister, her aunt, who lived in the city.

Akari loved her aunt immensely, and even went to two years of college just to please her. But she could no longer stay in the city, thoughts of her fathers old farm still plagued her mind. So it had not been a surprise to Akari's aunt when she had announced her decision to move to a small town in the middle of nowhere.

That town, Waffle Town, had been her home for just over one year now. As she stood, brushing her horses mane she didn't regret moving here at all. She was content. Every morning she would wake up, water her plants, tend to her animals and then when the days work was done she would go and visit with the towns people.

"Akari!" Someone called from down the path. Or they would come visit her.

"Owen!" She called back, waving to her friend as he turned the corner of the road and came into view. Owen had been Akari's first friend in Waffle Town, aside from the overly giddy Maya. They had become friends because of Akari's lack of money. With a small amount of experience in mining, she had worked at the blacksmith's shop until she had saved enough money to get her farm running. Owen, who naturally played the gentlemen, had been very helpful every step of the way and the two quickly became friends.

The big burly man walked inside the barn, raising a hand slowly to gently pet the horse. The sight always amused Akari. He was such a large, tall man, who was rimmed with muscles. By the description you would think he would be quite frightening, yet Akari seemed more threatening than he did. It was not a description that would fit the man who stood in front of her, softly petting the horse, a small smile on his face.

Akari reached up, patting the mans head. He looked down at her in wonder.

"You just looked so cute." She said laughing. His face flushed and he quickly looked back over at the horse.

"You shouldn't say stuff like that to me."

"Ah.. Sorry." Akari was aware of the feelings he had for her, he had made them quite clear. Every day. She had always been slow with matters such as this, so it had taken a confession under Alan's tree for her to realize. Having never been in that position before, she hadn't been quite sure of what to do. She knew she didn't love him, so rejection was obvious, but how to go about that she wasn't sure. So she went with the only two words she could choke out, _I'm sorry._

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Well, actually this is kinda unexpected for me. I hadn't planned on making him in love with her already. But thats what came out. My characters make their decisions without me apparently. When did this happen?! I thought I WAS IN CHARGE. Oh well. Anyways, a forewarning, I love love-triangles. So yeah, please tell me what you thought. Good? Okay? Crap?


	2. Yellow

**A/N: Okay, sorry this took so long. I had written a different chapter first that had been focused mainly on Maya and Akari with a bit of Chase, but I thought it was still too early for that since Maya isn't a huge character in the story.**

Forty-eight. Forty-nine. Fifty. Akari lowered her hammer, the head landing on the ground heavily. She sighed in exasperation, nearly two years of what seemed like non-stop mining and still she seemed to die out before she felt she had even begun.

"Owen, you amaze me." She said, watching as her friend did what he did best. He looked over, a smile spread across his face, these words seemed to please him.

"And how exactly do I amaze you?" he asked, true curiosity and wonder in his voice.

"Apart from your uncanny strength?" She said teasingly.

Owen was modest, yes. He was not one to brag, but he was not one to lie either. So he simply nodded in reply.

Turning back to her work, she answered. "I suppose your determination. Its amazing. I don't see how you can have so much. I wish I had half of it." Owen stayed silent, just standing there, leaning slightly against his hammer as he watched Akari work.

He would have replied that she had it all backwards. She was the one who had worked so hard, night and day, to get as far as she had. When she had first moved to Waffle Town, she went mining everyday. She would work until she could barely walk, and on multiple occasions she had even collapsed.

Owen remembered the horror he'd felt the first time he had come across his friend lying in the mines, limp and lifeless. He had carried her back, cursing at himself the whole time. He had let her walk right into danger. If he had come any later, he wasn't sure what would have happened.

From then on he would never let her go mining on her own. Just in case. But she never gave up, no matter how many times she fell. It was that unwillingness to give up that had made him fall in love with her. He, on the other hand, had no determination at all. He worked, yes, but that's all he did. Determination is when you have a goal, and you try to reach it. He had no goal. He would have told her, if it wasn't for the fact that he knew she would deny it all. She didn't realize how amazing she really was. She didn't realize it. She didn't realize anything.

"Let's head on down to the bar." Akari said, breaking Owen out of his train of thought. She looked down at her watch, grimacing slightly.

"Sure, let's go." Owen took the hammer from Akari's hand, sliding it into a pouch on his belt. Once again, playing the gentleman.

As they walked out, the light of the day that they had seen when entering the mines was now replaced with darkness that covered the entire town. The last remains of eerily shaped shadows made by the moon were cast across the dirt floor. Guilt struck Owen like a heavy wave.

"Oh my goddess, I'm so sorry Akari. You must be starved. I didn't mean to- you should have said something."

Akari laughed, placing a hand gently on Owen's arm. "You worry way too much. Anyways, I wasn't thinking about food. I'm not hungry." Although, now that the subject had been brought up, she couldn't help but feel the hollowness in the pit of her stomach. But her pride wouldn't let her admit that.

"None the less, a working woman needs to eat. How about I buy you dinner?" A free meal. That didn't sound half bad to Akari. Owen grabbed the hand that still lay on his arm, walking down the path to the inn.

Arriving right outside of the Sundae Inn, Owen suddenly became overly aware of the small fragile hand that he still held. It was so small, his hand wrapped around hers easily and comfortably. But they had not been holding hands like a couple might, but more like a mother or father who protectively held the hand of their child. This bothered Owen slightly.

Akari on the other hand, had barely noticed that they were linked together at all. Such a minor detail as that had escaped her mind as she wondered what Chase was cooking tonight. Perhaps it would be a nice warm bowl of potato soup with a roll on the side. Or maybe he had decided to go with a simple dish of herb fish. Maybe, just maybe, he had gone all out and cooked a nice cheeseburger. Oh how Akari wished tonight he would be making cheeseburgers. Her mouth watered just thinking of it.

Unconsciously slipping her hand out of Owen's, Akari pushed the door open, pulled forward by her hunger. The scent of baking bread filled the air, and Akari couldn't help but follow the smell. Owen watched as she stumbled along towards the counter. He was torn between laughing and smacking himself in the back of the head. "_Not hungry_?" He muttered, following her over to counter where she now stood.

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Well not much happened in this chapter, but I thought perhaps I'd show a bit about how Owen views Akari, which I don't think I did as well as I had planned on. But I guess this is mainly leading into the next chapter where we'll meet our other main character along with little Miss Maya.


	3. They Don't Care About Us

**A/N: So I always listen to songs when I write, and I have gotten lots of ideas from songs that I've listened to. So I'm going to be naming the chapters by a song that either inspired me to write the chapter, or reminds me of the chapter I've written. I named the introduction I want you to want me, by Cheap Trick, and named chapter one, Yellow, by Coldplay. And as far as this chapters title, I picked the song They Don't Care About Us by Michael Jackson.**

* * *

"Food." Akari demanded of Chase, the cook of the kitchen, who stood with his back to her. He turned around, a scowl on his face. He was well known for his anti-social, cold, pain-in-the-ass kind of attitude. Although since most everyone in town was overly-friendly, it was never said out loud, but it didn't stop them from thinking it.

"That's a bit vague." He replied, trying his best to keep his work face on.

"What is that smell? I want that. It smells delicious." Akari's eyes were closed, her nose up in the air, searching for the name of the food which filled the air with a sweet, cinnamon scent. She knew what it was, the word was on the tip of her tongue.

"Cinnamon rolls, right?" Owen guessed as he walked over, setting himself down on the stool next to Akari.

"Cinnamon rolls!" Akari yelled, snapping her finger, frustrated. "I was about to say that! You ruined my guessing game Owen."

"Ah. Sorry," He said, laughing. He turned back to Chase who was taking the rolls out of the oven. "We'll take half a dozen of them." He reached over, grabbing the bars menu. "And I'll have a yam cocktail."

"What?" Akari asked, appalled, "Cinnamon rolls and a cocktail?"

"You don't go to a bar and not drink."

"Yeah, well I think I'll just stick with milk."

Chase set a plate down between Owen and Akari, filled with six large cinnamon rolls topped with white icing on them. Mmm. It had been forever since Akari had eaten one last, it had to have been at least a year.

"Would you like one?" Owen asked, a roll in one hand, extended out to Chase.

Knowing even if he refused, Owen would continue to insist that he take it, Chase reached forward and grabbed the offering from his hand. "Thank you." He said simply.

"No!" Akari said, reaching forward and snatching away the roll from Chase's hand. Both Owen and Chase looked at her, a bit shocked. "You can't eat this, Chase, your allergic to cinnamon! Are you trying to break out in rashes? Last time I was afraid you were going to die, you were coughing and acting like you were about to pass out. Your not putting me through all that again."

Chase remembered very clearly when she was talking about. It had been over a year ago, when she had been working frequently at the bar with Maya. He had made a new desert that night. It was a pastry filled with cinnamon, peanut butter, and brown sugar. He remembered asking Akari to try it since his allergy prevented him from trying it himself. He couldn't forget the way she looked as she bit into it, the look of delight that had crossed her face and how that had made him tempted enough to try it.

The worst decision of his life. Not only had it been painful, but embarrassing. He had heaved, coughed and crumbled to the floor, watching as Akari scrambled to try and help him. Giving him water, calling out to others for help. That was the last thing he wanted, for others to see him in that disastrous state. It was bad enough that Akari had seen it at all. It had all just been a big ordeal.

"Ah. Yeah, your right." Chase said, wiping his sugar coated hands on his apron.

"Now I'm always gonna have to be worried about you." Akari said, biting into the cinnamon roll she had snatched from his hand. "Oh my goodness, this is delicious."

_Worried? _Chase thought. For him? People didn't worry about others, especially not him. They worried about themselves. _Worried?_ No one would waste such an emotion on him. Yet the thought of being worried about gave Chase a warm feeling, like a blanket had been wrapped around him.

* * *

Urgh. I really don't like this chapter for some reason. It's really short too, which I don't like. Oh and yeah, I didn't have Maya like I had said last time either, but I didn't feel she was needed. So tell me your thoughts, oppinions and critisms.


	4. Everything You Want

**Authors Note:** I'm really sorry that its been so long since I last posted a chapter. But I got a new computer, which didn't have all my stories. But I finally decided to suck it up and start a from-scratch chapter four.

This chapter is named after the song Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon. I think the song fits Owen pretty well.

* * *

Chase looked back at the only two customers; Owen and Akari, who sat close to each other, laughing and smiling with a warm aura surrounding them. It was quite sickening, in his opinion. The way the two of them were always latched together, like some kind of string was binding them together. It was less than needed or wanted by anyone.

Although from what he understood, the two of them were just friends. At least that's what he had heard from a disappointed Maya as she yammered on one day like she always did. But from the way Owen looked at Akari as she talked, anyone would assume the two of them were much more.

Chase doubted Owen had the ability to hide his feelings from her, and it was more than likely that he had already told her about how he felt. Meaning Akari had turned him down.

Which would mean she didn't love him. For one reason or another, this thought had Chase glancing over at Akari, who was laughing, food still sitting in her very widely opened mouth. He quickly looked away, but chuckled softly to himself as he began scrubbing again at the dirty dishes in his hands.

"The two of you should probably head home. I have things to do, so I'm closing up early," Chase said, grabbing another plate from a pile that sat on the counter top.

Owen and Akari looked up at him, as if they had forgotten that he had been there.

"Ah, okay," Owen said, finishing off his cocktail before getting up from his seat.

"Do you need help cleaning up anything? I'm not ve--"

"No thanks. I can clean up alone," Chase said, interrupting Akari. It was late, and he was tired, ready to go home for the day.

"Okay. Then we'll see you later," Akari called out, following Owen out the door.

The night was warm, the sky black, with small white lights dotting the sky above. It was a scene Akari loved to look at, and something only found in somewhere as serene and beautiful as Waffle Island. She smiled softly to herself, absorbing in the peaceful atmosphere.

"I'll walk you home," Owen said, smiling at the girl who smiled up at the open sky.

"Mhm, thanks," she turned her warm face to look over at him, "You're too nice." She said, laughing softly before she began walking down the dirt pathway heading towards her home.

Owen stayed still for a moment, his eyes following after her. She didn't understand. He wasn't being nice. It wasn't out of mere friendliness that he always tried to stay by her side or took special care of her. He wanted her to see. He wanted her to understand, that none of this was his kindness. It was out of selfishness. It was because he wanted to spend as much time as possible with her. It was because he loved her.

He had told her. He tried to show her. But all that was ever thrown back at him were words such as "kindness" or "gentlemen". He hated it.

Watching her walk away, oblivious to everything, was too much for him to take. He ran forward, grabbing her quickly, he pulled her into him tightly. He smothered his face in her short brown hair that smelled like a mix of sugar and dirt.

"I love you," he said, his breath tickling her neck. Akari stayed silent and motionless in his arms, not rejecting him nor returning his embrace. Slowly he pulled back, looking at the small girl in front of him.

The smile on her face surprised him. But it was a small, sad and apologetic smile. "I know," she said as her cold hands softly patted the side of his face. And she once again began walking away.

No. She didn't know.

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Shortest chapter yet, I believe. Next chapter will be up soon I hope. And I just realized, I think this is the first story I've posted that is third person omniscient. Maybe?


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